Keywords

ELs, Science, Elementary, Fourth/Fifth Grade, Teacher perspectives

Abstract

Science classrooms are places where students build knowledge through interacting with others and building new experiences by experimenting (Lee et al., 2009). English Learners (ELs) are students learning English, and the population of ELs has steadily risen in America (Tran, 2015). Although ELs are learning English, they are still expected to participate in conversations, exams, and learning in the Science classroom, regardless of their English abilities. This project focused on understanding teachers’ perspectives and experiences teaching ELs in the Science classroom. To do this, the researcher completed a phenomenological study and interviewed teachers to gain insight into their experiences. Afterward, the interviews were coded for themes to generalize the findings. Teachers are critical to the success of their students, including ELs (Lee et al., 2009). Teachers' decisions to support their ELs can be influenced by their experiences. This study informs researchers on what teachers are experiencing in the classroom and what they believe is needed to support ELs in acquiring Science content. The overall findings of the study indicate that teachers were unsure of what resources were available for their ELs and felt that ELs and Science were not prioritized by their schools.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Grissom, Donita

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

Learning Science and Education Research

Degree Program

Curriculum and Instruction; TESOL

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0028978

Language

English

Release Date

12-15-2024

Access Status

Dissertation

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Accessibility Status

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